Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-12-01
CuLP CoRNEREp.


The Standard OF; Monopoly Makes a BAD
Showing Before the Interstate Conn
mission.
WASHINGTON Nov 24-The examination
of j. NJ. Culp, general freight agent OF the
Louisville q Nashville railroad was con
tinued before the Interstate Commission
yesterday morning, in connection with the
Standard Oil cases. Witness hesitated
great deal in giving his testimony, and
showed in miny respects a lack or knowl-
edge OF the dates and other matters IN ms
department about which he was questioned
In explanation. or, as he termed it, in JUS
tice to himself, he finally said that the
chief man in his Office was in i'll health,
and that he (witness) had taken steps TO
have all matters respecting the arrange
ment and publication OF rates made clear.
He averred with emphasis that there was
no purpose on the part OF the company to
conceal any thing.
The chairman questioned witness for half
an hour respecting printed tariff issued
by witness, giving, among other informa-
ton, the rates upon oil
Witness admitted that the actual oil
rates were not those given on the sheet, but
were rates issued from time to time and
found in station houses. The purpose OF
the chairman was to ascertain how n ship
per could learn what were the actual rates
on oil Witness replied at great length,
but failed TO make the matter clear TO any
one.
Itwas developed that witness road owned
the forty-six cars OH which the Standard
Oil Company had placed cars. These cars
were not opened for the use Of any others
than the Standard Oil Company. 1t was
further developed that since April wit
ness had refused to give Mr.. Rice (Jhe COM
plainant) any rates upon oil from Louis
vile to Nashville and from Louisville to
Montgomery, despite repeated application
by letter; but had invariably referred Mr..
Rice to the agent of the Harrisburg line at
Cincinnati, and had at times accompanied
his reference with some rather forci0le
expressions Of opinion. Following this
witness said in reply to inquiry the
rate mad never been $l.30 per barrel upon
oil from Cincinnati to Nashville. There
upon the counsel produced letter from
Bernold, the Cincinnati agent, TO whom
witness referred Mr. Rice, which letter,
dated May IL, quoted rates from Cincinnati
to Louisville at 81 30 and another Of u SINH
lar purport dated September l. Witness
thought the first mistake, but on the pro-
ductIon OF the second he was assured that
the rate quoted was based upon the local
rate of 40 cents from Cincinnati to Louis
vile and 20 cents from Louisville to Nash
vile. The rate given the Standard Oil
Company was % cents per 100 pounds, u
barrel being reckoned at 375 pounds.
COMMENTS ON THE CASE.
WASHINGTON, Nov 24-The hearing be-
fore the Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion in regard TO the alleged discrimination
shown to the Standard Oil Company by
Southern railroads, is one of the most inn
portant yet undertaken by that Commits
sion. The inquiry is taking course which
makes it certain to draw out evidence OF
the gigantic tyranny of this great corpora
ton. The want of forInality and the free
dom and direction with which questions
are put to witnesses seems to have caught
the representatives of the Standard Oil
Company off their guard. 1t has been shown
that the Louisville & Nashville road has
uniformly Disseminated against small
shippers by evading its published tariff
rates, and has been in the habit OF posting
up those written notices of special rates
any time the officials of the road please to
do so. OF course, this is violation of the
law requiring freight and passenger rates
to be published in type of u certain size, so
that Shippers may know what they are.
1t also comes out that tank cars are taken
by the Louisville & Nashville without
weighing, and each car being billed at
10000 pounds, when some held much as
35, 900 pounds. No tank cars are taken for
small shippers on the pretext that the road
must have return loads of turpentine and
cotton seed oil in order to take the south
bound shipment While the representatives
of the Louisville & Nashville testify that
their rate in a certain case was 29Z cents
per 100 pounds, letters signed by the
freight managers of the road are before
the Commissioners, showing that the low
est rate they offered to shippers against
whom they wanted to discriminate was
thirty-seyen cents.
- S